Percussion is extremely broad in its instrumentation, timbral possibilities, and performance practices, yet it is also paradoxically accessible (Becker, 1992; Lloyd-Jones, 2016). Many instruments can produce agreeable sounds from the first touch, and this makes percussion ensembles, which are often a vehicle for exploratory work and group improvisation, a valuable source of training for music education majors, who themselves will be responsible for teaching music performance, creativity and appreciation to future generations. While members of percussion ensembles tend to be percussion performance majors, PercUqam is a non-credit percussion ensemble in an academic setting that welcomes both percussion majors and other students, in particular music education majors. As a non-credit course, students who choose to commit their time seem to be intrinsically motivated to participate. Decisions are often taken as a collective and participants choose their level of commitment with the understanding that once decided, they are responsible for the practice required. The purpose of this study is to better understand the motivation behind ensemble members’ choice to participate and the meaning of their musical experiences. Competence, autonomy and relatedness from the Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000) will be examined to better understand participants’ musical experiences and how the organizational approach used by the ensemble may foster intrinsic motivation. Data was collected through an online questionnaire and a group interview. Nine participants (including six education majors), who were recruited from past and current membership lists, completed an initial questionnaire on their individual musical background and perception of the ensemble experience. This served to design open-ended questions for the second step of the study: a group interview, in which seven members participated. Questions further developed upon the musical experiences of PercUqam, potential transfer to members’ other musical practices, motivational factors for joining a non-accredited ensemble, and the impact on musical identity. Interviews were transcribed, and will be coded and analysed for themes pertaining to motivation and musical experience. Given that musical experiences can impact identity (Linker, 2021), the experience of playing in a percussion ensemble can build a bridge for non-percussionists, in particular music education majors, to a world of musical experimentation, creativity and improvisation. Additionally, findings of this study may help us better understand how to facilitate opportunities to develop intrinsic motivation for music students while providing ensemble experiences that offer both performance and creative expression.